Should bearings spin freely?

[ManiacMac!]

Hey guys I just got a set of Jim’s bearings in the mail for my OC6S, and I tried giving them a spin with my finger. I expected them to spin for a while after I lifted my finger, but they stopped spinning Immediately. Is this how it’s supposed to be? It feels like they have really thick grease in them.

 

[332_RC]

Metal shielded bearings & rubber sealed bearings feel different like that. Metal S will spin pretty free, rubber S not quite when new. Sounds ok.

 

[ManiacMac!]

Metal shielded bearings & rubber sealed bearings feel different like that. Metal S will spin pretty free, rubber S not quite when new. Sounds ok.

Are metal shielded or rubber sealed bearings better?

 

[Hector_Fisher]

With no load, no I would not expect them to spin "freely". I bet with a load they would spin just fine though.

Remember, most bearings are greased. Grease is sticky and will provide some small level of resistance to rolling.

 

[332_RC]

Are metal shielded or rubber sealed bearings better?

Metal higher speed, more dirt gets inside & less life. Rubber less speed, nearly no dirt inside & long life. I prefer rubber on a basher. You can take the rubber seal out after a while with a hobby knife & cleaned them out & re-grease them w RC bearing grease.

 

[Glitch]

Metal higher speed, more dirt gets inside & less life. Rubber less speed, nearly no dirt inside & long life. I prefer rubber on a basher. You can take the rubber seal out after a while with a hobby knife & cleaned them out & re-grease them w RC bearing grease.

What grease do you use?

 

[sumguy75]

With no load, no I would not expect them to spin "freely". I bet with a load they would spin just fine though.

This is accurate. Rubber shielded bearings I can spin by hand in the front steering blocks of my 2wd rig, but without the weight of tires/wheels it stops spinning as soon as I stop turning it. Put the tires/wheels on and give them a spin and it will spin for 2-3 minutes when they are new/in good shape.

 

[332_RC]

What grease do you use?

Jim's or Mobil 1 RC universal grease.

 

[Dan B.]

What grease do you use?

Depends on use. For a speed runner, clean the grease out and use a drop (or maybe a drop and a half) of high speed oil.

Jim's or Mobil 1 RC universal grease.

These are great for bashers. I’m sold on this stuff, personally:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01GGQV34I/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[332_RC]

Depends on use. For a speed runner, clean the grease out and use a drop (or maybe a drop and a half) of high speed oil.

These are great for bashers. I’m sold on this stuff, personally:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01GGQV34I/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Nice looking stuff! Now I have the 6s Infraction may have to get some. Good for speed runners?

 

[Dan B.]

Nice looking stuff! Now I have the 6s Infraction may have to get some. Good for speed runners?

If you’re chasing records it’s pretty thick for that. But great stuff. I use it in all of my bashers, especially for diffs. It doesn’t fling off nearly as much as most other greases I’ve tried.

 

[dure16]

Are metal shielded or rubber sealed bearings better?

Rubber is better for most applications. They are packed with thick grease. You got good bearings. Have fun.

 

[morrjr71]

When looking for replacement bearings, consider the ABEC rating as well as the type of seal. The higher the ABEC rating, the better the accuracy of the manufacturing, and the bearings run smoother. I use ABEC 7 ceramic hybrid bearings in the wheels of my Infraction 6s.

 

[RC-Dude]

I saw a video by Earl Moorhead a few months back where he totally fills bearings with grease. As full as it gets. So I just did that with one bearing that I cleaned. Obviously won't spin. Seems fine. Just wondering if that stuff will come out in an ugly way in summer when it's really hot? I specifically pointing at wheel bearings. Would only use a few drops of oil in motor bearings.

Small bearings I replace, just the bigger ones on XRT etc. are easy to open without bending the pastic seal. Do you totally fill your bearings with grease when you clean them?

 

[Dan B.]

I know a lot of people pack them full. The only people that really don’t ever do it are the speed runners, who argue that it creates drag. I’ve packed them on my bashers and never really noticed a difference. I’ve never noticed too much mess from doing it.

 

[SirCrashALot]

I know a lot of people pack them full. The only people that really don’t ever do it are the speed runners, who argue that it creates drag. I’ve packed them on my bashers and never really noticed a difference. I’ve never noticed too much mess from doing it.

But do you notice if they last longer?

 

[Dan B.]

But do you notice if they last longer?

I couldn’t really say. By the time I’d know, I would have already done a tear down on the rig and replaced the bearings anyway.